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New headphones

poototie

Hello, I am in need of new headphones. I have been using the hd 558 for almost 6 years and it is getting worn out. I will primarily use it for gaming and watching shows. I prefer open back headphones. I have a budget from $300 to $450. I live in the US

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Worn out how? Are you aware you can replace the padding? Is there anything you dislike about the 558 to justify replacing them?

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1 minute ago, ShearMe said:

Worn out how? Are you aware you can replace the padding? Is there anything you dislike about the 558 to justify replacing them?

Sometimes there would be high screeching noise, pads are also worn out but I might as well use that money to buy a new pair of headphones. I also just simply want something new as my old ones can be used as a backup. Nothing I really dislike since its the first headphones I really used.

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5 minutes ago, poototie said:

Sometimes there would be high screeching noise, pads are also worn out but I might as well use that money to buy a new pair of headphones. I also just simply want something new as my old ones can be used as a backup. Nothing I really dislike since its the first headphones I really used.

I doubt the screeching noise is caused by the headphones, probably your source. What are you plugging them into? Maybe consider adding a DAC/amp to your new purchase.

 

I understand the rest of the logic. Drop.com has a cyber monday sale if you're still interested in Sennheiser. HD 580x or 6xx are a slight improvement over your 558, but have a similar sound signature. Tons of other options on the market, but hard to point you in a direction without knowing what you like/dislike about the 558.

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Do you have any more requirements other than the budget? For the budget you get plenty of choice so people are likely just going to throw in personal preferences. Do you want open back headphones or closed back headphones for example? Open back ones have a wider soundstage generally but as they are open you can hear your surroundings very well and your surroundings will hear your music, closed back ones are generally a bit bass heavier and have a bit more narrow soundstage but will isolate outside noises better and also not annoy your surroundings with your music choice much.

 

Then there is also the question what you will be using to drive the headphones. If it is your phone and onboard sound card you generally want ones for lower impedance. 

 

Also regarding the budget, if you are looking for analog headphones of good quality your budget frankly is on the high side as you are entering audiophile territory. You can really good headphones under your budget.

 

 

There aren't many subjects that benefit from binary takes on them in a discussion.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, ShearMe said:

I doubt the screeching noise is caused by the headphones, probably your source. What are you plugging them into? Maybe consider adding a DAC/amp to your new purchase.

 

I understand the rest of the logic. Drop.com has a cyber monday sale if you're still interested in Sennheiser. HD 580x or 6xx are a slight improvement over your 558, but have a similar sound signature. Tons of other options on the market, but hard to point you in a direction without knowing what you like/dislike about the 558.

I think that I like a neutral signature where the sound is original. Probably prefer open vs closed. I am currently looking at the hd 650 since it has a neutral signature.

 

7 minutes ago, creesch said:

Do you have any more requirements other than the budget? For the budget you get plenty of choice so people are likely just going to throw in personal preferences. Do you want open back headphones or closed back headphones for example? Open back ones have a wider soundstage generally but as they are open you can hear your surroundings very well and your surroundings will hear your music, closed back ones are generally a bit bass heavier and have a bit more narrow soundstage but will isolate outside noises better and also not annoy your surroundings with your music choice much.

 

Then there is also the question what you will be using to drive the headphones. If it is your phone and onboard sound card you generally want ones for lower impedance. 

 

Also regarding the budget, if you are looking for analog headphones of good quality your budget frankly is on the high side as you are entering audiophile territory. You can really good headphones under your budget.

 

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, poototie said:

I think that I like a neutral signature where the sound is original. Probably prefer open vs closed. I am currently looking at the hd 650 since it has a neutral signature.

650's are my personal favorite, but I don't know if they're worth the cost of the newer versions from Drop. Everything I've read seems to indicate there's mostly minor build differences. 

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33 minutes ago, poototie said:

I think that I like a neutral signature where the sound is original. Probably prefer open vs closed. I am currently looking at the hd 650 since it has a neutral signature.

 

 

 

Keep in mind that the HD 650s are high impedance headsets so you need something that is able to drive them properly. This means that for use with stuff like your computers soundcard and most phones you'll need an amp. 

There aren't many subjects that benefit from binary takes on them in a discussion.

 

 

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I can fully recommend the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home.

 

- $389 on amazon.com

- Open-backed

- Very neutral sound, no overemphasis on treble or bass

- Not hard to drive, so no expensive amp needed

- Very light/comfortable

- Very good build quality (handmade in Germany)

- Superb support (i can confirm that with my own experience)

- Very good track record for spare part availability

 

I've been using it for a little over a year now and it's a very good headphone.

If someone did not use reason to reach their conclusion in the first place, you cannot use reason to convince them otherwise.

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15 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

I can fully recommend the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home.

 

- Very neutral sound, no overemphasis on treble or bass

I have never heard anyone describe a beyerdynamic sound signature as neutral. 🙂

 

 

HD650 - HD559 - Amiron.png

 

The boosted bass, lowered mids, and treble spike all mean the Amiron has more of a V-curve EQ.

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1 minute ago, ShearMe said:

I have never heard anyone describe a beyerdynamic sound signature as neutral. 🙂

I've read a lot of reviews before buying it and that was how it was described in most cases. Tbh the only other higher-end reference i personally have is the DT990, which sounds very sharp.

If someone did not use reason to reach their conclusion in the first place, you cannot use reason to convince them otherwise.

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3 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

I've read a lot of reviews before buying it and that was how it was described in most cases. Tbh the only other higher-end reference i personally have is the DT990, which sounds very sharp.

The Amiron and DT990 treble peaks differ, and everyone experiences that differently.

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2 hours ago, Stahlmann said:

I can fully recommend the Beyerdynamic Amiron Home.

 

- $389 on amazon.com

- Open-backed

- Very neutral sound, no overemphasis on treble or bass

- Not hard to drive, so no expensive amp needed

- Very light/comfortable

- Very good build quality (handmade in Germany)

- Superb support (i can confirm that with my own experience)

- Very good track record for spare part availability

 

I've been using it for a little over a year now and it's a very good headphone.

I was exactly about to recommend the Amiron Home 😛 I think it was me who recommended that to you?

 

The Amiron Home is very underrated but it's a very good headphone. Sound is laidback, warm and despites it's a warmer sounding headphone, no details are lost.

 

Another fine headphone is the DT880 250ohm. Also a little underrated too but not bad at all. But it's a need a powerfull dac/amp.

DAC/AMPs:

Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier

Headphones: Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Walnut, Meze 109 Pro, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Amiron Wireless Copper, Tygr 300R, DT880 600ohm Manufaktur, T90, Fidelio X2HR

CPU: Intel 4770, GPU: Asus RTX3080 TUF Gaming OC, Mobo: MSI Z87-G45, RAM: DDR3 16GB G.Skill, PC Case: Fractal Design R4 Black non-iglass, Monitor: BenQ GW2280

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6 hours ago, poototie said:

Hello, I am in need of new headphones. I have been using the hd 558 for almost 6 years and it is getting worn out. I will primarily use it for gaming and watching shows. I prefer open back headphones. I have a budget from $300 to $450. I live in the US

https://www.verum-audio.com/store

 

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2 hours ago, CTR640 said:

I was exactly about to recommend the Amiron Home 😛 I think it was me who recommended that to you?

 

The Amiron Home is very underrated but it's a very good headphone. Sound is laidback, warm and despites it's a warmer sounding headphone, no details are lost.

 

Another fine headphone is the DT880 250ohm. Also a little underrated too but not bad at all. But it's a need a powerfull dac/amp.

Out of curiousity, do you know how the DT880 compares to the 990? Afaik the 880 is semi open and the 990 entirely open but I have no idea about their sound profiles. I also thought they brought out a new set in the 800 range but that is actually just for the 700 and 900 range in the form of the 700 pro x and 900 pro x respectively. 

There aren't many subjects that benefit from binary takes on them in a discussion.

 

 

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17 minutes ago, creesch said:

Out of curiousity, do you know how the DT880 compares to the 990? Afaik the 880 is semi open and the 990 entirely open but I have no idea about their sound profiles. I also thought they brought out a new set in the 800 range but that is actually just for the 700 and 900 range in the form of the 700 pro x and 900 pro x respectively. 

Yeah, that's why I mentioned the DT880 is a bit underrated. From what I've gathered the DT990 is a treble monster with ear-piercing highs. @rice guruand @Tigerleonowns the 990. And I am curious why Beyer labeled the DT880 as semi-open because it's not. Noise doesn't get blocked at all and you can still hear a mouse farting and the soundstage is excellent. I just don't know why there is no DT1880 and 800 Pro X.

DAC/AMPs:

Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier

Headphones: Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Walnut, Meze 109 Pro, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Amiron Wireless Copper, Tygr 300R, DT880 600ohm Manufaktur, T90, Fidelio X2HR

CPU: Intel 4770, GPU: Asus RTX3080 TUF Gaming OC, Mobo: MSI Z87-G45, RAM: DDR3 16GB G.Skill, PC Case: Fractal Design R4 Black non-iglass, Monitor: BenQ GW2280

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7 hours ago, poototie said:

Hello, I am in need of new headphones. I have been using the hd 558 for almost 6 years and it is getting worn out. I will primarily use it for gaming and watching shows. I prefer open back headphones. I have a budget from $300 to $450. I live in the US

For wireless I don't recommend the amiron as much as the hifiman deva pro. It just outperforms the Amiron imo in most regards. Hifiman he400se with a schiit magni 3+ and modi 3 also get a solid shout from me. 

 

11 minutes ago, CTR640 said:

Yeah, that's why I mentioned the DT880 is a bit underrated. From what I've gathered the DT990 is a treble monster with ear-piercing highs. @rice guruand @Tigerleonowns the 990. And I am curious why Beyer labeled the DT880 as semi-open because it's not. Noise doesn't get blocked at all and you can still hear a mouse farting and the soundstage is excellent. I just don't know why there is no DT1880 and 800 Pro X.

Maybe to differentiate it more from the 990? Dunno. 

I am NOT a professional and a lot of the time what I'm saying is based on limited knowledge and experience. I'm going to be incorrect at times. 

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4 minutes ago, Brok3n But who cares? said:

For wireless I don't recommend the amiron as much as the hifiman deva pro. It just outperforms the Amiron imo in most regards. Hifiman he400se with a schiit magni 3+ and modi 3 also get a solid shout from me. 

 

Maybe to differentiate it more from the 990? Dunno. 

There are two versions of the Amiron, the Wireless and Home. The latter is wired only.

And regarding the 990, I dunno too. There has never been DT1880 or DR800 X Pro. They could have used the Tesla drivers to make them more efficient for less powerfull sources and still have the DT880 Pro sound.

DAC/AMPs:

Klipsch Heritage Headphone Amplifier

Headphones: Klipsch Heritage HP-3 Walnut, Meze 109 Pro, Beyerdynamic Amiron Home, Amiron Wireless Copper, Tygr 300R, DT880 600ohm Manufaktur, T90, Fidelio X2HR

CPU: Intel 4770, GPU: Asus RTX3080 TUF Gaming OC, Mobo: MSI Z87-G45, RAM: DDR3 16GB G.Skill, PC Case: Fractal Design R4 Black non-iglass, Monitor: BenQ GW2280

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2 hours ago, creesch said:

DT880 compares to the 990

Me not owning the 880 I can't really say but the 990 pros are more piercing and has a midbass boost which the 880's don't. I'd say that the 880's sound more open and airy but are more closed because of its semi-open design if that makes sense. Not sure tho.

PM or DM me if you have any questions about audio.

My PC specs & audio gear

CPU > Intel core i7 14700K, GPU > RTX 4070 ProArt, RAM > Corsair Vengeance DDR5 2x16gb 5600mhz, Motherboard > Asus ROG Strix B760-F, Storage > 1TB M.2  & 500GB M.2 Kingston, Cooling > H150i Elite, PSU > MSI A850GL

🎧Current Audio Setup🎧

Beyerdynamic Tygr 300 R as daily driver

Soundblaster AE-9 Soundcard

AKG P420 Mic

Other peripherals

Keyboard > SteelSeries Apex Pro

Mouse > Steelseries Aerox 3 wired

Mousepad > Pulsar ParaSpeed XXL

VR > Valve index kit

Read this post if you want a "gaming" headset ;)

 

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5 hours ago, CTR640 said:

And I am curious why Beyer labeled the DT880 as semi-open because it's not.

Just to indicate there is filtering/porting going on to change the dynamics of the driver.

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12 hours ago, ShearMe said:

650's are my personal favorite, but I don't know if they're worth the cost of the newer versions from Drop. Everything I've read seems to indicate there's mostly minor build differences. 

What dac/amp should I buy with the hd 650?

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11 hours ago, poototie said:

What dac/amp should I buy with the hd 650?

If you're a quiet listener, something cheap like the Syba DAC or FiiO E10k would suffice. Most people like a little more juice to crank it from time to time, and for that I'd say an O2 amp on top of whatever DAC. https://drop.com/buy/drop-o2-sdac-dac-amp/details#details

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13 hours ago, ShearMe said:

If you're a quiet listener, something cheap like the Syba DAC or FiiO E10k would suffice. Most people like a little more juice to crank it from time to time, and for that I'd say an O2 amp on top of whatever DAC. https://drop.com/buy/drop-o2-sdac-dac-amp/details#details

hmm, might just go with the FiiOk E10k. It's both a amp and a dac so that's the only thing I would need to buy?

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42 minutes ago, poototie said:

hmm, might just go with the FiiOk E10k. It's both a amp and a dac so that's the only thing I would need to buy?

The Syba DAC and FiiO E10K are both DAC products that have a headphone amplifier. The O2 I linked also has a DAC built in, it's just important to note that not every O2 build has DAC functionality.

 

Rule of thumb: if it has a USB port, a headphone port, and a volume knob, it's probably an Amp and DAC all in one.

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